Andrew Sperling, Specialist Prison Lawyer, considers the Queen’s Speech in the context of Prison Reform
The Queen’s Speech was delivered this morning as the government set out its new policy with regard to the prison estate in England and Wales. Key proposals within the reforms include giving new powers to governors in a limited number of prisons, allowing them to control their individual budgets, the individual regime of the prison, the policy on social visits and what educational and rehabilitation services are provided.
There has however been widespread criticism in respect of the proposals that they do not address the underlying problems within the prison system. Andrew Sperling considers today’s speech and what should have been contained within it.
The Five Missing Sentences
- My government will accept that the prison population is too high and will have an honest and open debate about what needs to happen to reduce it safely.
- My government will commit sufficient resources for high quality rehabilitative interventions in prisons and in the community.
- My government will immediately take steps to ensure that IPP prisoners who have served their minimum terms can be released safely and will receive skilled support in the community so that they do not quickly return to prison.
- My government will not pretend that legal highs are the reason for violence in prison.
- My government will not abandon progressive prison reforms because they are unpopular with certain sections of the press.
Olliers Solicitors – Specialist Nationwide Prison Lawyers
Written by Andrew Sperling. Andrew is a leading prison law solicitor who has recently joined Olliers Solicitors. Olliers Solicitors represent prisoners nationwide in every aspect of prison law including oral panels before the Parole Board, Parole Board paper reviews, recalls, Category A Reviews, categorisation, Home Detention Curfew (HDC), sentence planning, and adjudications both on paper and before the Independent Adjudicator as well as Judicial Review applications.
